A facies of Kophobelemnon (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from Santa Maria di Leuca coral province (Mediterranean Sea)
Mastrototaro, F.; Maiorano, P.; Vertino, A.; Battista, D.; Indennidate, A.; Savini, A.; Tursi, A.; D'Onghia, G. (2013). A facies of Kophobelemnon (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from Santa Maria di Leuca coral province (Mediterranean Sea). Mar. Ecol. (Berl.) 34(3): 313-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maec.12017
During a research cruise carried out in April 2010, aimed at updating the knowledge on the biodiversity of the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea), a facies of the sea pen Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Muller, 1776) was found on mud-dominated bottoms. This finding represents a new species and a new habitat record from the SML coral province as well as a new bathyal facies in the whole Central Mediterranean Sea. The colonies were collected using an epi-benthic sledge, at depths between 400 and 470 m. A significant positive relationship between polyp number and colony length was detected. Density of the colonies ranged from 0.003 to 0.038 N·m−2. Differences and affinities between Mediterranean and Atlantic occurrences of K. stelliferum are discussed.
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